Much as a bottle of Bordeaux improves with age, it stands to reason that a whisky matured in a wine cask will only improve over time. At least that’s the premise behind the distilleries who take the rare step of experimenting with wine and whisky—and take it a step further in the name of innovation and experimentation.
Unlike, say, single malts that are simply finished in wine casks for an abbreviated period of time, these expressions are actually matured in barrels that once held shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, sherry, or even pinot noir to produce an alchemical alcohol.
David Vitale, the founder of Australia-based Starward Whisky, is particularly fond of using a variety of wine casks to age his expressions—as opposed to the more traditional ex-bourbon vessels, which happen to be more economical, thanks to the barrel surplus brought about by the stringent regulations governing American bourbon and rye.
But of course, Vitale is very well positioned in terms of acquiring casks of his choice. After all, Australia is known for its spectacular vineyards and its ethos of strategic viticulture. And really, what’s better than locally sourced barrels with which to age your distillates?
“We chose full maturation periods because we wanted to make a whisky that was inherently Australian, as well as shine a light on Aussie wine producers who take deep care of their wines by using oak barrels. To me, there’s a lovely and quite unique relationship with the winemakers we use,” says Vitale. “Their intent and purpose in choosing a wine barrel is very different to the intent and purpose we have in using them. All great Starward barrels are from exceptional wineries using amazing barrels—but not all amazing barrels make great Starward barrels. So we’ve developed, with their help, a ‘Rosetta Stone’ of sorts to decode what works for us. It’s about laddering up flavor into the almost-ready spirit, primarily the oak characters which have had the edges taken off them by holding wine in them, but importantly highlighting the wine itself and what—using alcohol as a flavor carrier—happens as it’s exposed to the elements over time.”
Here, four stellar wine-cask-matured whiskies that are worth every penny. Scroll all the way down to read all about them.
Best Wine Cask Whiskies That Deliver Loads of Flavor
TEELING SINGLE GRAIN IRISH WHISKY ($50)
The thing about Teeling Irish whiskeys is that you can never go wrong. In my experience, I’ve never had a subpar expression—cofounder (and brothers) Jack and Stephen Teeling both have exceptional palates, as does Alex Chasko, the company’s master distiller and blender, who, ironically enough, is from the great state of Oregon). Another thing: Teeling is not afraid of all kinds of experimentation because they’re all about curiosity, experimentation, and adventure. This particular expression is as good as it gets without totally dismantling the DNA of what Irish whiskey is. The single grain is so versatile that I even use it my Irish coffee—and it does impart a distinctively bright quality to this classic coffee cocktail. “The California red wine barrels gives our single grain an amazing red fruits and rich berries on the nose,” Chasko says. “This fits perfectly with the spice and dry tannins that comes from the French oak that were used to make the casks. The result is a whiskey that is packed full of flavour and drinks more like a bourbon than a typical Irish Whiskey.”
KAVALAN SHERRY CASK SINGLE MALT ($170)
Kavalan is known for its beautiful finishes and “experimental” maturation. If you want a port cask or a sherry cask or any other kind of wine-cask whisky, the Taiwanese distillery should probably be your go-to brand—despite the fact that it may cost you more than a pretty penny. (Many collectors have been feverishly hoarding Kavalan’s releases.) But don’t make this common mistake: This particular expression is not to be confused with Kavalan’s Solist Oloroso Sherry Cask Strength, which is bottled at substantial 56.3% ABV. Instead, this less expensive—but equally delicious—expression takes the original Solist (which is, by the way, not available in the American market) and dials the proof back by a few notches to 92 proof. And the result is no less spectacular. It also makes the whisky a tad more accessible to the enthusiasts who have just started to explore their palates. Back then, Kavalan’s former master blender, Ian Chang, worked in collaboration with the much-admired late whiskey consultant, Dr. Jim Swan, to develop this Award-winning whisky. And they succeeded—without a doubt. These days, Kavalan happens to be one of the more sought-after Asian brands—after Suntory’s portfolio of whiskies.
STARWARD NOVA AUSTRALIAN SINGLE MALT ($52)
David Vitale of the famed Australian whisky distillery, Starward, doesn’t compromise. To him, it’s all about flavor and integrity and bringing local expertise together. And by that I mean, Vitale had the idea of making use of his Motherland’s viticulture and wine knowhow to create spirits that were evocative of all things Aussie. “In our first release of Starward back in 2013, we exclusively used Apera wine barrels. Apera is a style of Australian fortified wine—it’s most like Spanish sherry. The product it produces is sentimentally my favorite, but it is increasingly difficult to find these barrels as the fortified wine industry in Australia is in decline,” Vitale says. “So we learned then that having one barrel type is a risk to sustaining growth of the business over the longer term. What other barrels can we use? Aussie red wine barrels of course! Interestingly, we feel like the wood strategy that a winemaker chooses has a far greater influence on flavor than the particular style of wine. And in some wineries, it might be that the first vintage is an iconic Aussie shiraz that takes the biggest hit of oak tannins and then the last use might be a pinot noir, which has less oak influence but benefits from time in wood nonetheless. We do have single varietal barrels from smaller wineries and we are really excited about sharing the results with drinkers as a limited release.”
THE GLENDRONACH PORT WOOD HIGHLAND SINGLE MALT ($106)
If you’re into sweet-ish Scotches that are finished in sherry or Port, then you’ve got three go-to brands that you may want to try. And of course, those three distilleries—GlenDronach, BenRiach, Glenglassaugh—are helmed by none other than master blender Rachel Barrie. Even before I met her, I had experienced her whiskies all over the world during my travel—from Zurich to Paris to Milan to Scotland to Hong Kong and beyond. And I have never had a disappointing expression…particularly this one. Barrie’s style as a blender is very intuitive: She knows what works. She knows when a blend is too much. And she certainly knows when a blend is just right and nearly perfect. This expression, in particular, happens to be fantastic: It’s matured first in Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks—followed by a second maturation in fine Port. Everything about it is ripe stone fruit sweetness—perfect for an afternoon sip or a nightcap. Personally, I even drink it sometime before lunch just to hype myself up for yet another pandemic lunch. And while its price point is a little more than what may would like to spend on—especially in this economy—I can guarantee you that it will make the rest of this godforsaken year better.
